Now when I say rebrand, I don't necessarily mean this blog (though this IS the first post in over two years)- but more a rebranding of myself.
My values, my lifestyle, my diet, my purchasing habits- all changed drastically over the last few months. Ask my fiancee- vegan, environmentalist, and eco-friendly were NOT words I would've used to describe myself just 9 months ago. And that's what I'm hoping to really use this space for- to share my journey, my missteps, and my take-aways with you all.
But why? I mean a few months ago, I couldn't care less about factory farming, climate change, or single-use plastics. I knew these things existed on the periphery of my mind, but they didn't impact me directly. My air was clean, my make-up was brand new out of the packaging, and my Starbucks cups were stacked up.
I don't want to get preachy, but I want to be transparent. Here are the three main reasons I wanted to make a drastic change.
1) The landfills are literally filling up. I don't know about you, but the thought of living on the Earth depicted on Wall-E is not appealing. According to the EPA, the average America generates 4.5 tons of waste/garbage everyday. The landfills in the States are almost at capacity and when you think of the staggering sizes of those landfills (Miramar landfill here in San Diego is 1,500 acres of trash) it's appalling. All of a sudden, throwing out a Starbucks cup a couple times a week instead of bringing my own just didn't feel alright anymore. Now, my dog Cash and I are all about the resusables. ("Could I get a venti Strawberry Acai Refresher.... but in my own cup?")
2) It's not too late! There are some real environmental atrocities happening right now. The coral reefs are dying. There is an actual garbage island floating in the Pacific Ocean (Google it, I dare you). Deforestation of the Amazon is, for lack of better word, aggressive. But it's not too late. Climate researchers are aware there is a tipping point, or a point of no return from which our climate will be irrevocably altered. They aren't sure when it will occur, but the good news is: it hasn't happened yet. There's still time for us all to collectively make little changes that add up to big changes (I'm talking, change your consumer habits, and organizations will change, and we can create systemic change) so our kids and grandkids won't have to live in a world where Finding Nemo is set in a fantasy world.
3) Factory farming is just bad all around for the environment. I love food. Ask anyone. Like, I LOVE food. I want to eat all the foods in the world. But with just a bit of research, I realized the way I was eating (carnivorous AF) was having a huge impact... all around. From the land destroyed for monoculture farming (generally soy and corn in the US, and often times for animal feed for meat production), to the usage of pesticides harming the environment, the the carbon and methane emissions, to just straight up animal cruelty- I wanted to do better. I'm never going to be someone that criticizes ANYONE for the choices they make (again, I LOVE food), if you can switch to a Beyond burger (or Beyond Nuggets!) once or twice, you have my whole heart.
These are just three of the reasons- but believe me, there are so many more. Again, I'm not trying to be defeatist or negative or preachy- I want to be completely transparent about why my life, my values, and most importantly my Insta (just kidding) look pretty different.
Again, I'm by no means an expert but I'm learning everyday. I have to give a huge shoutout to the Environmental team at my work- I've learned so much from them and I am constantly inspired by the changes they manage to implement. I've got some really big plans for what comes next for me and for this blog- especially a N-Sale secondhand dupe post I'm pretty excited about (definitely wearing my Poshmark-purchased Revolve jumpsuit as we speak).
I'm excited to take this new step in my blogging life and share a bit about my journey with you. I hope you're along for the ride.
Stay green, stay clean, and definitely stay beautiful.
- Whitney
